A rubber band ball, meticulously constructed and then unceremoniously dropped, that's what Outside Pedestrian's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" feels like. Not the ball itself, mind you, but the brief, elastic snap of unexpected order being momentarily... let go. We know the Bach tune. It’s a holiday staple, often served up with a side of polite reverence. But here, Anthony Fesmire’s guitar, David Lockeretz’s...

"O Holy Night," as sung by Kate Stanford, is one of the few Christmas songs that has the emotional weight, spiritual depth, and lasting power that it does. The song gives stillness, respect, and attention from the very first line, and you have to follow through to the very end. It's not just a Christmas song; it's an appeal, a declaration, and a beautiful rendition of...